Half to john hanna



(No Model.)

W. H. SHAROOD.

. SELF ACTING CONTINUOUS RAIL FROG. No. 386,852. Patented July 31, 1888.

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x I x N. PETERS. Pholo-Lilhographar, Wnhingtcn, me. I

WILLIAM H. SHAROOD, OF BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF TOJOHN HANNA, OF SAME PLACE.

SELF-ACTING CONTINUOUS-RAIL FROG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,852, dated July 31,1888.

Application filed March 27, 1888. Serial No. 268,615.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. SHARooD,a citizen of the United States,residing at Birmingham, in the county of Oakland and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SelfActingContinuous-Rail Frogs, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

IO This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automaticrailway-frogs.

The invention consists in the peculiar combinations and theconstruction, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, all as more fullyhereinafter described,and shown in the drawings, in which Figure 1 is aplan of my improved device, and Fig. 2 is across-section on line 00 00.

A and A are the main rails, and B and B are the siding-rails. The innermain and siding rails are interrupted near their point of crossing, andthe frog-rail G is pivotally secured upon a bed-plate, D, betweentheinterrupted ends of these rails. in such manner that by vibrating itin the proper manner it can be made to register with either rail.

1 preferably form the pivotal connection of this frog-rail by means of adisk or turntable, E, which turns in a suitable aperture v of thebed-plate D, and to which the frograil 0 is secured by means of the railclips F, whereby the frog-rai1 may be detached and replaced in case ofits being worn out without disturbing the pivotal connection, all asshown in Fig. 2.

G and G are vibrating contact bars or rails pivot-ally secured alongsidethe inner main and sidingrail at one approach to the frog, and H H aresimilar contact bars or rails pivotally secured alongside the inner mainrail and siding-rail at the other approach to the frog. Thesecontactbars are respectively connected together and placed in suchrelation to the inner main railand siding-rail that 5 the flanges of thewheels of an approaching train will laterally actuate these bars in suchmanner that if one of each set is crowded out (No model.)

of contact with one rail the other contactbar is thereby brought intocontact (or nearly so) with the other rail.

The contactbars G G are preferably made in one piece, pivotally securedat the inner end at I, while the contact-bars H H at the oppositeapproach are preferably in two pieces, pivotally secured at their innerends 5 at J, and connected together at their outer ends by a strap, K,or otherwise.

L L L L L are connecting rods or bars, and H M M are crank-levers, allarranged and connected to the contact-bars and to the mov- 6o ablefrog-rail, so as to transmit the vibrating motion of either set ofcontact-bars, when actuated by the wheels of the train,in such a manneras to cause the frog-rail to register with either the main or sidingrail, as the case requires,to pass the train safely over the track.

The contact bars G G and H H are preferably made in the form of ordinaryT-rails, with their inner and outer ends bent away to permit the easyapproach of the wheelflanges between them and the main and siding rails.The pivotal point of the frog-rail O is preferably placed near one endthereof to obtain sut'ficientleverage to move the frograil. Suitablestops,O,are secured to the bed- 7 plate to limit the throw of the frograil.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is The combination, with the inner mainand siding rail, interrupted at the point of crossing, of the movablefrog-rail 0, adapted to regis- 8o ter with either rail,the vibratingcontact-bars G G and H H, placed alongside these rails at the approachesto the frog-rail, connectingbars L, L',L", L, and L, and thecrank-levers M M M, the parts being constructed and arranged to operatesubstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this 29th day of February, 1888.

WVILLIAM H. SHAROOD.

Witnesses:

P. M. HULBERT, JOHN SOHUMAN.

